Today’s NewsStand – June 11, 2018

Published on Monday, June 11th, 2018

Featuring hospital and health care headlines from the media and the Web.

Iowa News

State’s first free-standing rehabilitation hospital opens in CliveIowa’s first free-standing rehabilitation hospital is now up and running. In Clive on Thursday, Mercy Medical Center and Kindred Healthcare hosted a ribbon cutting for the new facility. The Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital is the only free-standing hospital in the state dedicated to patients in need of physical rehab. The business’ CEO says the hospital is a better option for patients who may have been referred to a nursing home previously for recovery. (WHO)

BVRMC debuts remodel of Oncology & Infusion CenterOn June 5, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center (BVRMC)held an open house for its newly remodeled Oncology & Infusion Center. The new space will provide a more private and soothing environment for patients fighting cancer. The staff also educated the crowd on the number of infusion services they have added over the years for other diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. (Storm Lake Times)

Peoples Bank gives KHC building to expand clinic
It’s safe to say that Kevin Kincaid, CEO of Knoxville Hospital & Clinics (KHC), can find many assets in the free building he accepted Thursday on behalf of the hospital. Kevin Halterman, Peoples Bank president and CEO, handed Kincaid a two-foot long gold key to symbolize the bank’s gift to KHC. Peoples Bank opened its new location. KHC is exploring other uses for the space, but is glad to have room to expand, Kincaid said. The building’s facade will be updated, but most of KHC’s focus will be on using the new clinic space to improve its services to the community, he said. (Knoxville Journal-Express)

Partners at work and home: Meet the Genesis ER coupleWhen Dr. Kathryn Dierks, 36, and her husband Dr. Dave Dierks, 43, got married in 2009, the then-physicians-in-training had no plans of living in the Quad-Cities. But now they both work as emergency room (ER) doctors at Genesis Medical Center- Davenport. Their plans changed once they settled into their roles at Genesis, and they realized how much of a need there is for quality emergency room physicians in Iowa. They saw an opportunity to help improve the health of the region by making this “the best ER we could make it together,” Dave said. (Quad-City Times)

National News

ACA lawsuit could jeopardize 52 million Americans’ access to health careAn obscure district court lawsuit over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became a potent threat to one of the law’s most popular provisions late Thursday, when the Justice Department filed a brief arguing that as of Jan. 1, 2019, the protections for people with preexisting conditions should be invalidated. The Justice Department argued the judge should strike down the section of the law that protects people buying insurance from being charged higher premiums because of their health history. (Washington Post)

Backers optimistic Medicaid plan will make Nebraska ballotOrganizers of a petition drive to expand Medicaid in Nebraska say they are making progress toward placing the issue on the November general election ballot, thanks in part to a national group that successfully championed a similar effort in Maine last year. Organizers need about 85,000 signatures by July 5 to qualify. They must also gather signatures from at least 5 percent of the registered voters in 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties. (Seattle Times)

Michigan bill forces Medicaid recipients to work 80 hours per monthA bill requiring many Medicaid recipients to work at least 80 hours a month is headed to Governor Rick Snyder after the Senate gave final passage to the bill Thursday. And Snyder said he’s ready to sign the bill. Medicaid recipients would have to submit reports monthly about their compliance with the new rules, which also allow for the requirements to be met through school, vocational or job training, internships and community service. (Detroit Free Press)

Using virtual reality to distract people from pain gains traction in hospitalsDespite being in and out of hospitals since the age of 16, one of Harmon Clarke’s biggest fears is having an intravenous line inserted into his arm. The 34-year-old resident of Los Angeles has had more than 30 surgeries related to his Crohn’s disease, but getting stuck with an IV needle has never gotten less stressful. One time, literally eight different IV nurses had come into my room trying to get a line in, and I’m in tears. I can’t do my procedure or surgery until we get this done, and it was just like a nightmare.” (Washington Post)